It's the holiday edition of Around the Water Cooler, and what better way to start celebrating the upcoming holiday season than by seeing what some of the top athletes in sports want for X-mas.  That's right, I've got the x-mas lists for some of the top athletes in sports.  However, the decided to write them without revealing who they are, so see if you can figure out who wants what for x-mas.

Dear Santa,

I'm dropping 40 point games like crazy, lighting people up on the court, but we just keep on losing to teams we would normally beat by 50.  So Santa, can you please bring back number 34 to our lineup healthy?  I didn't realize he was this vital to the team.  Here I am scoring all these points and we're losing to the Atlanta Hawks.  I mean, I've got the hops, the nasty baseline fade away jumper, man I've got three championship rings for goodness sake. I should be able to lead this team to wins without the big fellah.  But anyway, Santa, if you're listening please let number 34 get back to the lineup soon so I can go back to my 25 point games where I sit back and let the open shots come to me with the big fellah in the lineup.

Sincerely

KB8

Dear Santa

I really didn't think it was going to be this hard.  I mean I know we don't play Vanderbilt anymore but I figured gosh darnit, we play the Cowboys twice a year, and that's close enough.  This coaching in the pros thing just isn't as easy as I thought it was.  Back when I was coaching in the sunshine state, if we only won by 20 that was a bad day at the office. Now I can barely get 14 points on the board.  So Santa, if you could, could you send me some speed.  Please, I've been good this year.  I mean our receivers are so slow we time them in the 40 yard dash with sun dials.  Just one fast receiver and then the ol' fun n gun will be moving along again.  Thanks Santa.

An ol' ball coach in DC

Dear Santa

Just when I've got everyone believing I really am that good of a quarterback, here comes this back-up kid and he goes 4-0 after I start 0-5 and get hurt.  Wait a minute! This sounds really familiar... Oh yeah! This is how Trent Green got black balled and then I came in out of nowhere and led the Rams to a Super Bowl.  Even though it was mainly the fact that I have the greatest running back in the game today and receivers so fast the look like they're running a track meet on the field, people said it was all me.  But now I'm hurt and this kids playing all good.  Is it really true that NFL contracts aren't guaranteed, only the signing bonuses?  Well Santa, all I want for X-mas is my starting job back with no controversy. You know I've been good this year.

# 13 in St. Louis

Dear Santa,

Man-oh-man!  Even though the stats said Donovan was 70 percent of our offense I never thought about how bad off we'd be if he got hurt.  Now he's got a broken ankle and he's out for the rest of the season.  Where the heck are we gonna get any offensive production from?  Not only was he our leading passer, but our leading rusher too.  Oh man, why couldn't James Thrash be Jerry Rice and Duce Staley be Walter Payton?  Koy Detmer, I've got to finish the season with Koy Detmer, the guy who celebrates by acting like he's in a disco after successfully holding an extra point.  Please send me a quarterback Santa.  Could you clone that Vick kid in Atlanta?  Heck I'd take his little brother at Tech.

A coach in Philly